Wearable Rash: A Derm Explains The Major Causes, Prevention Tips & Remedies

Wearables, trackers, smartwatches, sleep monitors—they've all been long-standing favorites of wellness fans everywhere. And by all accounts, the trend is only getting bigger. And well, more micro, too. In one of our wellness trends for 2021, we noted   just how much the market was expanding, and with said expansion, much of growth was focused on getting granular. For example, the new Fitbit Sense tracks skin temperature variation, Garmin's watches now measure pulse oximetry, the Apple Watch Series 6 has a blood oxygen sensor, Nutrisense and Levels launched continuous glucose monitors (CGM), and the new Amazon Halo wearable even determines body composition—just to name a few.

"Friction, particularly on damp skin, can cause chafing. Chafing is the annoying and often painful result of skin rubbing against skin or clothing," says board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., noting that chafing most often occurs on the body where tight clothes and materials meet sweat, like the bra, underarms." And, yes, your wearable too. 

"If chafing has occurred, gently clean the area with cool water and dry it thoroughly. Apply a soothing emollient to protect the skin," she says. We recommend Pipette's Baby Balm. "If the area is very painful or swollen, see your dermatologist."

And then going forward—to avoid the chafing altogether—there are some steps you can take.  

"In order to prevent skin chafing, you must decrease the amount of friction to your skin," says King. "To do this: Stay dry, as wet skin can make chafing worse. Lubricate with anti-chafing products to the area. Finally, make sure the trackable is properly fitting." 

A less common culprit but not one to be overlooked is an allergy. "If someone has an allergy to nickel, then metals in these devices that contain nickel can cause allergic contact dermatitis," says King. "Sweating in the area can make this worse by increasing the distribution of the allergen." In fact, some research has been conducted on allergens in wearables and trackers, finding that they may indeed cause contact dermatitis in some users.